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6 red flags that alert criminals you're not home

Just because you're out of town for a week or three doesn't mean the burglars who watch for signs of an empty house are on vacation, too.

And criminals are smart — even if you're in town and adhering to a normal routine, many professional burglars take note of the times you're in and out of the house by observing your habits and even by following your online activities. With the holiday season on the horizon, it's likely that you'll be traveling (or working long hours out of the house before the holiday break) — and it's important to be extra vigilant about home security during this time of year.

"Many homes give off blatant 'burgle-me' messages to the passing thief," writes Christopher Middleton in a recent article. "And that message doesn’t have to be wide-open windows and unlocked doors."

In a world where even an average burglar is able to break into a residence in fewer than 60 seconds and steal your valuables in fewer than 10 minutes, having strategies in place to make certain that your living quarters don't advertise to the criminal crowd is a critical step.

Let's look at a few key red flags to avoid to protect your house and the things you love inside of it.

1. Clearly visible valuables

The fix: Clear windows of valuables and ensure that expensive electronics aren't displayed prominently in front of windows. A significant portion of a burglar's decision to break in starts with what they can see in and around your dwelling. A flatscreen that's visible through a picture window is an easy mark, for example. Even a boat or luxury car in the driveway can suggest a valuables-filled household. Draw the blinds, move the expensive stuff out of sight and move the cars into the garage when you're out of the house.

2. Piled up mail, flyers and packages

"Full and overflowing mail in your mailbox is sure to tell the whole neighborhood that you are definitely not at home," says Elizabeth Dodson, co-founder of HomeZada.

The fix: "Take the few extra steps to place your mail on hold with your local post office," says Dodson. "Once you have returned from your trip, you can stop by and pick up your mail while resuming your delivery service."

In addition, keep the stoop clear of other flyers. It's not only mail that can give away an empty nest — and it's not always for reasons of commerce that flyers show up on a given street in the first place.

"Have a neighbor pick up any flyers that have been attached to your door," says Shane Fischer, an attorney. "Criminals will pose as salespeople and stick business cards or flyers in between the door and the door frame. They then return to the area 48 hours later. If those cards or flyers are still there, that's a good indication that the owner is gone."

3. The absence of a home monitoring system

The fix: Consider electronic assistance. From alarms to surveillance cameras, to apps that route data about open doors and movement to your mobile devices, the home-monitoring milieu is always advancing with technology. Options differ according to budgets, but households adding electronics to their home-security profile — along with signage that says a system is in place — create significant deterrents when it comes to break-ins.

In addition to keeping an electronic eye on your belongings and home while you're away, most home monitoring systems are also connected to IRL assistance — in other words, there's a team of experts ready to respond the moment anything goes awry. This added assurance can give homeowners peace of mind.

4. Obvious hiding places for the spare key

"Leaving a spare key under a rock, planter, welcome mat or some other nearby item will only make it easier for burglars to access your home," Dodson says.

The fix: Give spare keys to neighbors, instead of leaving them under doormats. "Leaving a key with a neighbor or family member is much safer than leaving it anywhere nearby the door," Dodson adds.

5. A dark, clearly vacant home

The fix: Create the illusion of occupancy. Add timers to lamps in several rooms and leave on a radio or television (but make sure it's low enough so that just the hint of voices comes through windows and outside doors). It's also helpful to use lighting timers that allow for dynamic on-and-off scenarios. Having the lights come on at precisely 6 o'clock every evening just isn't as convincing. These are simple ways to prevent the impression of a dark, unoccupied building.

Home automation can be controlled remotely in some cases, so it may be worth investigating some of the tools on the market that enable you to control your home's lighting, electronic devices, etc. when you're out of town or working late.

6. Broadcasting travel plans or when you're out of the house

Tell your neighbors (but not the world) when you're stuck in the office until midnight, or when you're heading out of town. Let your immediate neighbors know that you'll be away and ask them to call or text if something seems strange about your property while you're gone.

If you're posting to social media from your vacation spot — and the best anti-burglary strategy is probably to not do so — then be sure to thank your "house-sitter" in every post, even if you don't actually have one. And in general, be sure to watch your privacy settings when you're posting about being out of the house. If you're updating your Twitter account from the mall on Black Friday and commenting about how long the lines are, it's more obvious to criminals that you'll be out of the house for quite some time. Consider keeping these types of posts, and any post that broadcasts your location, limited to networks in which you're only connected with close friends and family.

One thread that runs through all these various red flags is that building a network to protect your home is one of the best options to ensure security. That network can be based on flesh-and-blood neighbors or it can be a hardwired system — ideally, it's a bit of both.

Burglars work fast when it comes to break-ins, but you can get your household out ahead of them by putting these strategies into place before you head out.

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